Aug 7, 2009

Query- The Last Flight

Richard pulled the chord.The chute did not open. He grabbed the emergency chord and the chute did not respond. He calculated his life ending in approximately ninety seconds, not enough time to review instant replay of his life.

Richard Harper accepted offer to investigate the largest insurance fraud he had ever known. Corruption never entered his mind, nor did the idea of his wife Lydia getting seduced by Mark Flannary, CEO of Global Investments LTD.

I am looking for representation for a completed 85K word crime genre novel. This is my first go at searching for an agent and your agency was recommended as top 50 in the country for longevity and for getting results. Also, Mr. Fry, I noticed when visiting your web site, you have particular interest in crime genre.

Thank you in advance for your time reading my query and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
Robert Meacham

Query- Savage Grace

I'm late to the party. This is a wonderful idea. Here is my contribution:

Life is cruel. This is a lesson Evangeline Savage learns at a young age. When her mother is murdered and a mysterious visitor claims that Evangeline’s life is in jeopardy, she sets out to find the murderer before he finds her. Her journey takes her to the humid swamps of South Carolina’s low country where she learns of her mother’s involvement with a coven of elemental witches. A coven that reveals Evangeline’s legacy as a member of a family of powerful water witches.

Thrust into a world where magic is real and danger lurks at every turn, Evangeline must decide who to trust. With untapped power the likes of which the magical community has never seen, she becomes the target of a madman out to steal her power for his own. She must unite forces with the dynamic and seductive Justin Hammersley, a fellow water witch, if she is going to survive the coming battle. She trusts him with her life, but dare she trust him with her heart?

Savage Grace is a fast-paced 90,000 word paranormal romance set in South Carolina at the end of the 19th Century. With a strong female protagonist, an unforgettable romance and a vibrant historical setting, it will appeal to fans of such writers as Elizabeth Boyle and Karen Marie Moning. Savage Grace is the first in a four book series entitled The Savages.

Query: BEAUTY SECRETS

Note: I've left out the intro and personal touches (as in why I'm querying said agent).

Beauty Secret Representative Keira Diaz was out to sell lipstick, not solve a mystery. But when her client’s playboy husband, Roger Siebold, is reported missing and the Beaufort Police Department dismiss the case, Keira’s plans change. A desire to help propels Keira to lead an investigation. What she discovers is that more than one person is being deceived.

Finding Roger’s body only leads to more questions. Where was he the three days before he was murdered? Who had access to the ricin that poisoned him? And what does a kidnapped little girl have to do with it all?

Not even Keira is prepared for how deep the lies go and how many crimes are intertwined. This is one case where keeping secrets just might get her killed.

When you write genre fiction it’s important to bring something new to the table. Beauty Secrets accomplishes this by creating its own niche within the themed mystery novel market. The protagonist, Keira Diaz, is an independent beauty representative (think Avon or Mary Kay). Her profession gives her daily access to people’s homes, their private lives and the neighborhood gossip. Combine this with Keira’s natural curiosity and determination, and you end up with endless mystery-solving scenarios.

If interested, the full manuscript (62,000 words) is available upon request. For more information about myself or my writing, please visit my blog at http://www.stephdamore.blogspot.com/.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

A Guest Post on Agent Nathan Bransford's Blog

To the one or two Slushpile readers who don't already read Nathan Bransford's blog:

This is the last day of Nathan's 2nd Guest Post Week, and yours truly will be the featured poster (child?). The post should go live at 8am Pacific time / 11am Eastern Time, barring accidents, and the topic is highly relevant to this site.

All of the posts this week have been very good, and I encourage you to go back and read them if you haven't already. For that matter, the blog itself is indispensable and should be part of your regular reading anyway, making this point moot. Please forgive me.

And while I'm here, thanks to all of you who post, comment, and lurk here at the Slushpile. I'm really glad this site works so well for so many!

Now it's 6:28am, and I need to get back to my manuscript...

- Rick